Yes … an early morning … lots of driving to be done today!

Yes, last night I preached (the last of two consecutive evenings) in Hendersonville, North Carolina. At the Progress Baptist Church here. (Great Services, praise the Lord!)

And in the morning I begin Revival in the little City of Whitesburg, Georgia (near the Alabama State Line) at Consolation Baptist Church … so Debbie and I must leave the motel here early! Then drive home, wash clothes, repack, etc. (In fact, I badly need a haircut and the barber shop is only open until Noon!)

So, pray for us today. Within thirty minutes of my posting this little “Lesson Explanation” … you will be able to read this Saturday’s full Bible Study Installment. Still from Leviticus, of course!

These Services (beginning in the Morning at Consolation Baptist Church) continue through Wednesday night, the Lord willing.

Ask the Lord to give us safety in travelling these many miles.

Glory to His Name.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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Fine flour … Jesus as the very best Saviour, the “Preeminent One” of God! (Flour that had been milled and milled too! Suggesting the heartache and agony Jesus faced as a Man walking this earth, prior to Calvary!)

And oil (olive oil) … Jesus as fully controlled by the Holy Spirit of God! (John the Baptist even wrote that our Lord was given the Spirit “without measure.” John 3:34)

And then frankincense on top of both the oil and the flour … sweet-smelling frankincense, picturing Jesus as a pleasant (fragrant) Son in the Eyes of God! (“In Whom the Father was well pleased!”)

Then, rather strangely, salt was to be added as well. “And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering.” Leviticus 2:13, with salt picturing the “incorruptibility” and “perpetuity” of our Lord Jesus Christ! Salt retards the rotting process and preserves whatever it touches! (Even in Death Jesus saw no corruption! His Blood, too, is incorruptible!)

Yes … these four ingredients comprise the essence of the “Meat Offering” (meaning “meal” offering, a “grain” offering, or at times simply called a “cereal” offering).

Part of which will be burned on the altar (Jesus satisfying His Father) being a delightful (totally dedicated Son). Leviticus 2:2 reveals the procedure: “Bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests: and he shall take thereout his HANDFUL of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar, to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.”

Jesus in four picturesque ways anyhow … giving Himself back to His Father! Note John 8:29 … Jesus talking: “I do ALWAYS those things that PLEASE him (my Father).” The Perfect Meal Offering, the Perfect Man!

BUT … in addition to these ingredients, God also specifically forbade the use of two more entities, items. NONE of which could be included in this offering!

Leaven … absolutely forbidden for the meal offering! In the Bible leaven typifies “sin!” (“Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.” Matthew 16:6 … Jesus was (and still is) sinless!

Honey … why this prohibition? Honey seems sweet! No honey because honey “sours” when subjected to heat! And in Jesus there is nothing rancid or unpleasant or malodorous! He is “altogether lovely!” So says the Bride in Song of Solomon 5:16.

And what a picture of loveliness these ingredients (or lack thereof) bring to the altar of fire (brazen altar) … to be offered to Almighty God. (In a way this is Jesus worshipping His Father!)

But tomorrow, the Lord willing, we shall learn there is even more beauty in the Meal Offering! Come and see …

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Scripture proving my data used above …

“And when any will offer a meat offering unto the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon.” Leviticus 2:1

“And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt. Leviticus 2:13

“No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the LORD, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey.” Leviticus 2:11

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I have always thought of these offerings as representing Jesus (and Jesus alone). But in realty (though I still maintain that Jesus is First to be considered here) these acts of worship also teach us how to better live our lives to the Glory of God.

Let me give you an example.

Having already viewed the burnt offering (where every bit of the sacrificial animal is burned on the altar) as typifying Christ in His TOTAL DEDICATION to His Father in Heaven … one might (easily and Scripturally) then view that same offering as a “picture” of the TOTAL DEDICATION we are to bring to our dear Lord! (Jesus must always have the PREEMINENCE … but we are to follow “in His steps!”)

Maybe this is why we often sing the song that asks: “Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid?” Or even “I surrender all.”

But today (the unique view I’ve mentioned) I want to lay beside the burnt offering the meat offering, from Leviticus chapter 2. But actually it does not contain any “meat” at all. (Meat back then merely spoke of solid food, of any kind. Not liquids!)

The meat (hereafter “meal”) offering did not even involve blood sacrifice! Not a drop! Rare indeed with Almighty God! It consisted of “fine flour.” Wheat that has grown “from the earth, out of the ground.” Upon that fine flour was poured “oil” (a picture of the Holy Spirit) and “frankincense” (an emblem of sweet smelling fragrance, pleasant to the Nostrils of God) and these ingredients (or at least a part thereof) were burned on the altar. It is foremostly a Picture of Jesus in His Manhood, His Earthliness, in His physical Life! (IF OUR LORD HAD NOT LIVED RIGHT … HE COULD NOT HAVE DIED RIGHT!) He was perfect in His Humanity!

Now let’s apply that meal offering to you and me …

It is as if the Holy Spirit (quoting God the Father) had His Eye on the Law of Moses as He penned these first two Offerings.

The BURNT OFFERING … right relationship with God … just as the first Tablet of the Ten Commandments dealt with obeying God … looking vertically, upward!

The MEAL OFFERING … right relationship with man … just as the second Tablet of the Ten Commandments dealt with living godly toward our brethren … looking horizontally, outward!

Wow!

How intricate, how precise is the Word of God!

How beautiful!

And we have just begun our little journey into these five offerings!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

More tomorrow morning, the Lord willing.

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Leviticus chapter 1 is amazing. One reason being that God is the Speaker, all the way through those 17 technical verses! And His first item for discussion … is the “offering” (an act of worship by which man seeks to please God, to come near God) known as the “burnt sacrifice.” We often call it the “burnt offering” or sometimes the “whole burnt offering.”

And the Lord “up front” instructs Israel concerning the types of animals He will accept as appropriate for such a sacrifice. (Offering number one of five!) God to Moses: “Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.” Leviticus 1:2, talk about getting down to business sin a hurry!

See the allowed categories?

Of the cattle, an animal like an ox (a “bullock”) is acceptable, quite expensive! (Leviticus 1:3-5)

Then (less expensive) a “lamb/sheep” or at times even (inexplicably) a “goat” is allowed! (Verse 10)

Finally, a little “dove/pigeon” might be acceptable! (Verse 14)

The sequence alone is beautiful! A rich man should bring an ox. But if not that wealthy, a sheep will do! And if the offerer is very poor, God smiles on even a little dove!

“Whosoever will may come,” regardless of their financial status! Hallelujah! That’s our gracious God!

This too … JESUS is certainly seen in each of these animals! (About all I have ever heard preached is Jesus as LAMB, certainly a wonderful Picture, but not the only picture!)

Jesus as OX? Yes, His mighty strength and endurance in service! He seemingly inexhaustible Ability to serve His Father! (Little sleep, little food, no “place to lay his Head” … yet always “about His Father’s Business!”)

Jesus as LAMB? Yes, in His innocence, humility and submission! (For example: “He was led as a SHEEP to the slaughter; and like a LAMB dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth.” Acts 8:32)

And Jesus as DOVE? Yes, in His purity and faithfulness! (The doves being clean little creatures, always faithful to his mate as well!)

Wow!

See how much we miss of the Intricacies of Jesus our Lord, His very Person and Work … by not studying these offerings in some detail?

Even the “goat” (???) slips into the “burnt offering” picture somehow! In verse 10, to be precise. (An animal usually associated with sin offerings!) And the burnt offering does NOT deal with sin. But rather with dedication, total surrender to the Lord! I think that … even though this is a Sweet Saviour Offering (smells “good” to Almighty God, something which the offerings related to “sin” are not said to do) … OUR GREAT GOD IS SO FORGIVING, SO LOVING, SO CLEANSING IN HIS PESON, IN HIS CHARACTER … THAT EVEN THE GOAT GETS MENTIONED IN THE FIRST OFFERING! “The Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

God … always concerned about the lost!

Plus this, regarding the goat … the bigger the animal sacrificed … the more precise the Picture of Jesus appears to be!

The less valuable the animal … the less specific the details seem to be presented! Hence, the goat somehow got “mixed in,” but not in the highest level of sacrifices allowed! Somewhere in the middle!

At least that’s my observation, conclusion!

Jesus … Bullock, and Sheep/Lamb and Dove/Pigeon!

I long to know Him, consider Him, meditate on Him … in all those Capacities!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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One thing about these (five) offerings introduced in Leviticus’ first few chapters … they allow us to see JESUS in a much deeper way than ever before!

Some people (like the Jews of old) are content to know Jesus only as the Passover Lamb! Just as a way out of arduous Egypt, a way to enjoy “free” food (manna), and a way to a new home (Canaan).

But these offerings (including the burnt offering) reveal Jesus in much deeper (fuller) detail!

Showing how His Death on Calvary accomplished so much MORE than we’d ever realize apart from the study of these God ordained Rituals. Yes, herein we will get to know Jesus BETTER! Appreciate HIM more! Understand His Calvary Work … from a number of different perspectives!

I’m in favor of that!

Today I’d like to say something about the burnt offering (whole burnt offering), but this fact applies to the other offerings as well.

Jesus is pictured from three angles!

This offering has an offending Jew, the “offerer,” if you understand me. Then of course there is the “offering” itself, a little male lamb (for example), and thirdly there is a “priest” officiating, receiving the offering and obeying God’s specifics about how to handle the ceremony.

Wow!

Preacher Bagwell, Jesus as “offerer?”

Yes, “to fulfill all righteousness” He came to earth and took on a body like mine (without sin, of course), identifying with me. He came “under the Law,” as Paul preached in Galatians 4:4-5. “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”

Another verse might help as well. “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit OFFERED HIMSELF without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” Hebrews 9:14, Jesus as “offerer!”

Jesus took my place at the foot of the brazen altar and assumed my sin(s)! He offered HIMSELF as a sacrifice, a propitiation to God the Father … on our behalf.

And yes, certainly Jesus as “offering!”

This is of course the easiest to comprehend! Jesus IS the Lamb! Jesus IS the innocent little Dove of Almighty God! Jesus IS the big strong OX (BULLOCK) Who came to earth to both serve and to die for lost sinners.

(Those three categories of animals just mention … the three “levels” of the burnt offering! Three more “Views” of our dear Lord and His work on Calvary!)

Listen to John the Baptist one day … “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the LAMB OF GOD, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29

Then Jesus as “priest?”

Certainly so! He IS our great High Priest yet to this day! He is the One Who presented His Own Blood to the Father on our behalf, in our stead! Read part of Hebrews 9:12 here … “By his own blood he (Jesus) entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” The “Holy Place” in Heaven, I believe.

Wow!

I am already seeing Jesus in a deeper way!

And our study of the offerings has just begun!

Come back tomorrow.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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